Can’t Sell Your Products on Social Media? Think Again …

Products and Services That Can’t Be Sold on Social Media! Or Can They?

Are you not on social media because you think your product can’t be sold on these platforms? Here’s an experience we had that some of you might relate to. This article might just open new horizons for you.

The Prospect’s Mocking Laughter

During a discovery session with a prospect, we reached the part about social media. The representative immediately laughed mockingly and said, “Guys, selling this on Facebook? For us, a sale is a whole process with commissions before we can finalize and deliver. We don’t sell on Facebook, come on!”

To help you picture the context, let’s compare this prospect to a company like Boeing or Airbus. The representative explained that selling an airplane involves several technical and accounting steps before concluding the sale.

A Deeper Problem

We couldn’t just accept leaving very effective channels unexploited. Starting with an attempt to present the advantages and opportunities would have been a waste of time because we were facing a deeper problem.

We often encounter this issue with entrepreneurs who are experts in their field but lack financial and commercial knowledge. They think hiring an accountant will solve everything, but they miss out on huge opportunities without even knowing they exist.

Sale vs. Transaction

This case is a classic example of prospects not differentiating between a sale and a transaction. Ask around, and you’ll see how many people define a sale as receiving money in exchange for goods and services. However, this step is just a formality following the “yes, I’ll buy” that closes the sale and triggers the paperwork.

In this article, we won’t delve into the steps of a sale or sales techniques. Instead, we’ll look at cases like this and see what opportunities they’re missing out on!

I. Case Studies

1. Large Aerospace Manufacturer

This case, similar to our prospect, thought we would make promotional posts about airplanes or show crash tests with a “Get a Quote!” button. A classic mistake: confusing social media with a marketplace!

So, what kind of content can we post on which network for this prospect?

Here are a few elements we learned during the discovery phase:

• We know the target geographical areas.
• We know the top 3 decision-making professions in purchasing the product.
• We know the important criteria that make a difference.

Honestly, how is this different from a therapist, a bakery, or a gym? Let’s continue.

Content That Makes a Difference

Saying “our planes are high quality” on Facebook would be laughable. However, if we film events organized by the company at the end of the school year to recruit the top graduates from a prestigious aeronautical engineering school, and show the best candidates trying to get a chance to join the company, that’s a game-changer.

Seeing interviews with these individuals explaining how hard they worked to convince the company’s demanding recruiters gives us the subconscious belief that the product quality is premium because such a team will produce excellence.

Behind-the-Scenes That Reassure

Imagine documenting and showcasing a compliance project in the company’s warehouses, demonstrating rigorous adherence to standards.

Now, let’s move to LinkedIn. Post reports, inspection comments, partnership announcements involving seat comfort, for example. Tailor this so the target audience comes across it. This is an indirect way to pitch the sale. From there, they can already be convinced about where their next airplane purchase will come from. The rest is just the transaction, but the sale was effectively closed on Facebook or LinkedIn.

2. A Call Center

Let’s look at the case of a call center aiming to attract telecom operators to outsource their customer service.

First impression: this requires several meetings, commissions, and a long preparation phase before signing such a contract. One might think it’s not important to be on Facebook. WRONG!

Highlighting Guarantees

For an operator to trust a call center with their customer service, they need several guarantees: quality, adherence to guidelines, response speed, sales, customer satisfaction, retention, etc.

Like with the aerospace company, we’ll break down each quality to highlight. For example, show the monthly results of the internal best agent contest, with figures like a quality score threshold of 85%, achieved by 75% of agents.

Proof Through Example

Share part of a recording, hiding private data, but reflecting an agent’s exceptional quality during a difficult call. Publish the acquisition of ISO standards for quality and compliance. Show what a client gave as a gift to an agent for exceeding sales targets.

A good communication strategy like this not only helps commercially but makes the call center desirable and strong during negotiations. It also attracts workforce wanting to join this pleasant and profitable work environment.

The Call Center “Throne” Operation

We witnessed an exceptional experience with a call center. During an operation, the team leader challenged the team on sales combined with quality, saying the winner would be recognized as the best, without further details.

In the end, he offered his seat for the agent to sit on for the whole month. The agent perceived it as a throne, and others envied them. They made a great video of this event, with a testimony from the client highlighting the team leader’s ability to motivate the team even in months without a budget.

Commercial Impact

Thanks to shares and reactions, the number of solicitations the center received completely disrupted the account managers’ schedule.

Be Present with the Right Content and Editorial Plan

Convincing people of the importance of being on social media is still relevant today. But it’s not really the entrepreneurs’ fault, who see social media as a club where teenagers share selfies!

Results That Speak for Themselves

We’ve seen cases where, after correctly leveraging their social media, dedicating just 20% of their usual communication budget, they achieved more positive feedback than with 100% of the budget, and did even better in subsequent years.

Try PulseWeaver

Still skeptical? We suggest seeing what good social media integration can bring you by testing PulseWeaver. Delegate content creation for your social media and provide the necessary media. PulseWeaver will suggest the best content after its initial analysis.

Challenge Us!

And if you think a sector has no place on social media, tell us in the comments. The most mentioned sector will be analyzed, and a detailed action plan will be proposed in a future article.

We close suggestions on 10/06. Challenge us 😉